♪ good morning, america. breaking news on the halloween superstorm. strengthening overnight. the massive hurricane on a collision course with two winter storm systems. 50 million people in its path. bracing for surging walls of water, up to 11 feet high. homes already destroyed. hundreds of thousands more in danger. >> this is a serious and big storm. >> air travel at a virtual standstill. thousands of flights canceled across the country. and the nation's largest public transit system shutdown. the storm even shakes up the presidential campaign. officials warn voters to evacuate. >> my job for the next couple of days is to scope people alive. >> sam, josh and chris in the

field. good "good morning america's" special coverage starts right now. and you are looking at north carolina's outer banks, already slammed so hard by winds and rain. the dangerous storm surge devouring the beaches and homes all night long. good morning, america. as you know, robin recovering from a bone marrow transplant. we have amy robach her amy, hardly anyone out there. this city has braced for the storm. >> that's right. the sto has strengthened to 80 miles per hour overnight. look at all that seafoam from the angry ocean. there's abc's matt gutman, he's been wading through it day and night. >> and hurricane sandy is such an unusual storm. a once in a generation event. sam is leading our team coverage

from lower manhattan. and, sam, what exactly makes sandy so different and so powerful? >> oh, george, there's a huge list about this storm. but first, let's start with the size of this thing. we're going to show you the 3-d satellite. you're going to see the clouds that stretch from well, really, bermuda all the way up the coastline to hudson bay and canada and beyond the arctic circle. with the 3-d view, you can actually see there's been a little center. we've seen some eye in the storm and then it starts to go away. some people are surprised the storm going north gained a little strength overnight. and it did that because it moved into the warmer waters of the gulf stream. it runs off the eastern seaboard and it gives that storm the little oomph that it needs before tell heads to the coastline. all the experts are still pointing to the storm just to the shoreline around 1:00 this morning, somewhere near the atlantic city area. all morning long, we'll show you

damage of the storm. remember, all of these pictures we show you this morning are with the storm more than 200 miles off the coastline. >> reporter: hurricane sandy is more than 200 miles northeast of cape hatteras, north carolina. look at this house in rodanthe, north carolina. parts of it are breaking off in the ocean. north carolina saw more than six inches of rain in the past 24 hours. >> we got about eight to nine inches of water on our property. >> reporter: there are many places like norfolk virginia where it is. 85-mile-per-hour winds are surgeoning to surf. sandy's winds could be up to 90 miles an hour this afternoon, just short of a category 2. all of this power, all of this damage in sandy are still well offshore. what makes sandy special? this time of year, most tropical storms and hurricanes move east out to sea. sandy is traveling north and

will turn west so its effects will be felt over a large land area. and this storm is monster size. clouds stretching over 2,000 miles, tropical force winds more than 1,000 miles. as sandy makes its way up the eastern seaboard it's colliding with an arctic cold front from the west. add in the jet stream and sandy is a superstorm. >> this storm is going to be destructive, historic and unfortunately, life-threatening. >> and we've got to talk about wind and rain from this storm, first. those are first the likely things that will cause the most damage early on in this storm. a quick look at its windfield. we'll show you is this not a coastal system. watch this thing come onshore and it spreads winds all the way in, look at that, chicago, you're getting winds. down south, atlanta you'll be feeling winds from the storm. take a look at the rainfall. again, this is not just the coastal storm. the heaviest rain is where the storm will come on shore.

in that says, 6 to 12 inches of rain. that's exactly where ginger zee is this morning right on the shore in atlantic city. the exact spot that forecasters expect the storm will come on. ginger. >> that's right, sam, this storm is 250 miles away from us. it will be ground zero tonight when it comes onshore tonight. imagine, though, four to eight-foot wall of water, add 10 to 20-foot waves, come with me push all that water right off on that barrier and over the iconic atlantic city boardwalk. that's one of the reasons that people evacuated just atlantic and up and down the barrier coast. they're barrier islands. they have a second threat. there's wind and water coming not just from the ocean side but from the bay side. and officials are so scared it will flood from both sides. that's why they asked everyone to get out as of yesterday at 4:00 p.m. if i can allow you for me to get

nerdy here. it's a 967.7 millibar record low here in atlantic city. we're going to smash that when that thing comes onshore. sam? >> no, ginger, you're right with the superlatives. and sandwiched between that water, not just there, but places like new york city. >> absolutely. not to be nerdy, but common sense. just to be standing there. here in new york city, a couple hours away from high tide, water's coming over the edge. the problem is big metro areas like new york city, atlantic city, philly, they're low-lying already. any assumption and this place will fill up like a basin. >> and it will. as a matter of fact, where we're standing right here, there are some places that will see exactly the water that chris is talking about. >> we'll take a look and see exactly what storm surge will do. >> reporter: sandy's storm surge will be wind and water and the worst. >> ocean will come inland here causing massive flooding.

so that likely to be the biggest threat to loss of life. >> reporter: storm surge forces bodies of water higher and farther than norm. we're talking 10 to feet feet or higher. an extremely deadly wall of water powerfully invading areas. 90% of all hurricane deaths. to make matters worse, sandy with her high wind is getting a head start, a full moon. during a full moon, gravitational pull on the southeast is its strongest, producing high tide of two to four feet. and residents dug in with protective sand. long islanders filled winds and side streets with sandbags and even to stop the fit from the sea with the full weight of the ocean behind it. >> we packed 35 sandbags and brought them back to the house. then we put plastic and sandbags and boarded up. >> reporter: sandy could turn lower manhattan into a virtual

flood zone where experts predict considerable flooding in an area that has little elevation. last year, irene, and driving through the wall street area. now, last year, you and i were standing almost exactly here to get a very different situation. the surge isn't going to bring just water. it's going to bring force. and that's why we don't know how it will affect an area like this already in evacuation. people aren't living in the area where we are right now. if the forecasters, not you, sam, but everybody in general, close to accurate, this place is going to look very different tomorrow. maybe permanently. >> chris, we're standing right here where the water is up on the edge. last year where we were here, the water was two or fee below that. didn't really get to the top until the middle of the storm. >> absolutely. >> amy. >> chris, sam, thanks so much. we want to take a look at times square. because normally at this hour,

it's crammed with traffic. well, look at that, it is a virtual ghost town. sandy has forced officials to shut down the subways for the second time in its history. josh is out on times square with the very latest. josh, you're pretty move alone out there. >> it's virtually empty here in times square. as the first rain drops begin to fall. you take a look at the subway station behind me. virtually empty. again, any other day it would be bustling with commuters. all part of new york's plan to deal with the superstorm. >> reporter: this morning, the largest transit system in the country shut down. threats of massive flooding closing new york's 850 miles of subways, trains and buses through discuss morning, affecting some 9 million impurities. >> this is month ago to play with. this is nothing to take lightly. >> reporter: new york city trains are especially vulnerable to floods and damages. the underground station lie under the water line. overnight, the mta prepared 300

pump rooms and portable track pumps to deal with the worst case scenario. water damage causing commuters to be stranded indefinitely. >> don't want to damage the equipment and have a real problem getting the system up and running. >> reporter: major cities up and down the east coast are taking similar precautions. new jersey's transit system that moving nearly 1 million commuters every day also coming to a halt. >> new jersey transit will face a wide shut down. stay home and stay safe. >> reporter: in philadelphia, nearly 350,000 commuters are looking for other ways to get around this morning and further south in d.c. the washington metro is closed off for some 800,000 riders. as amy mentioned again this is the second time in the city's history that all commuter service has been shut down. just over a year ago, it happened in the advent of hurricane irene. but, george, as people look to

get to work this morning, officials hope they'll just stay home. >> sandy causing a real mess for flyers, too. some planes were in the air yesterday morning. but look at this morning. 6,500 flights canceled. abc's jim avila has details from reagan national airport in washington. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning. we're pretty much at a ground stop across the eastern seaboard with trains, planes and buses, even cruise ships told to go away. look at this, reagan national, 7:00 on a monday morning, this should be jammed with people. almost totally empty. as we walk across the concourse, the board here is really a wall of cancellations. all the flights canceled here except for a handful are getting out. so it's really quite a mess. and people are being told to stay away from the airports. >> reporter: this morning, much of the nation as a standstill. the per romps superstorm crippling much of america's transportation system.

amtrak trains and airports from north carolina to boston virtually shut down. nearly 7,000 flights canceled. most either fly from or through one of the hubs in sandy's path. >> you prepare, prepare, prepare, then they change. >> reporter: all those cancellations are creating a ripple effect. forcing delays as far west as seattle and san francisco. stranding passengers for the most part, taking it in stride. >> it's not the airport's fault. you can't really control the weather. >> reporter: on sunday, united and jed bleu moved the planes out until tuesday. but at jfk and laguardia, there's concern about the storm surge. >> the thing that we're going to be watching very, very closely is going to be the flooding and the flood potential here in new york. and with these airports basically at sea level that poses a major risk to us. >> reporter: and the jetblue's ceo explained that delays could last until the end of the week. >> it will take us a couple days, probably until at least

thursday, if not friday, to get back to normal. >> reporter: meantime, trains have been derailed too. amtrak shut down all east coast service. normally more than 300 trains would be running today. because the airlines don't want their passengers or their planes stranded, they started the cancellations early yesterday. and as we heard, it won't happen, won't finish up until probably thursday or friday, george. >> jim, thanks so much. so much of the east coast is bracing for the aftermath of sandy. let's go to matt gutman in nags head, north carolina. i know you've had a first hand view. >> good morning, amy. to give you a sense of what's in store for the rest of the northeast, we've been battered here with tropical storm conditions for 36 continuous hours. this rain, the wind, the wave, six inches of rain in the past 24 hours alone now.

these waves have cut off entire coastal communities. flooded roads and get this, 150 miles due east of where we are. the "h.s.s. bounty," that replica ship is out at sea. they've issued an s.o.s. order asking for help. what they're telling the coast guard, they're taking on water. the coast guard is trying to how best to reach them but it might not even be today. sam? >> joined by dr. rick knabb, the director of the national weather service. we're hearing superstorm. everyone is familiar with hurricane and they're familiar with nor'easter, but the term superstorm is going to catch them by surprise. describe that. >> what we're dealing with is a large hurricane.

it's not going to matter. it's a large storm impacting a large number of people, including well inland in mountainous places like west virginia with heavy snowfall. but the coastal impacts are going to be the storm surge for which several people, several areas, have been ordered to evacuate. and the strong winds, hurricane-force even. especially gusts at the coast. and rainfall moving well inland. this is not just going to be a coastal event. a lot of people are going to be impacted and a slow-mover over the next few days. >> now, i've watched you cover storms like this for a long time. tell me, rank this one for me, in that list of storms that will go down in the top five, top-ten storms, where do you place this storm in its strength and damage? >> you know, reality, it's very difficult if not impossible do rank storms overall because every storm is different. this is coming in on a track and with a structure and intensity that we haven't seen exactly before. and so you could be experiencing

something you've never experienced before at your location out of this particular event. >> rick, this thing definitely going onshore, no doubt about it? >> oh, there's no question. this is going to come onshore late tonight, emergency room tomorrow morning. that's when the center of circulation is going to come onshore. but bad weather is already on the coast. once bad weather starts it could last for two to three days in terms of lengthy periods of rainfall and strong winds. and at the coastline, the water levels are coming up today and they're not going to come down for two to three days. >> it's a rough neck couple of days. and it has all the elements. dr. rick knabb, thank you your time. the storm is shaking up the race for the white house. with eight days to go, it's scrambling the schedules. president obama has canceled his schedule. he's in orlando. he's coming back to the white house. it's "your voice your vote" and jake tapper is in orlando this morning. >> reporter: in addition to preparing for the final week of this hard-fought race, president

obama, mitt romney and their campaign are preparing for hurricane sandy. >> in times like this, one of the things that americans do, we pull together and help out one another. >> reporter: the obama campaign is encouraging supporters by e-mail, twitter and their home page to donate to the hurricane relief effort. the romney campaign loaded supplies on the bus in virginia to prepare to deliver them to local storm centers after the storm hits. >> i know right now some people in the country are nervous about the storm to hit the coast. i thought those are the people our prayers are the people in harm's way. >> reporter: safety. >> fact is, keeping people alive first. >> reporter: will the storm impact the race? >> well, i hope it's not going to affect the voters by election day. >> reporter: it could. in virginia where there's a virtual tie, voters who may be affected by the storm can now vote absentee in person.

while storm preparations have been going on, so has the campaign. the president reminded voters a fee went up while romney was the governor of massachusetts. >> he raised fees to get a birth certificate which would have been expensive for me. >> reporter: afterwards, he made a stop at a common's man's spot. >> to america. doesn't matter what party. >> and already this once in a lifetime storm has significantly affected the campaign. with romney and obamacacan sellg 18 events. and president obama just announced he will no longer appear at the orlando, florida, rally. he's trying to get ahead of the weather, fly back to washington and monitor hurricane sandy, george. >> thanks, jake. let's go back to sam for the check of the weather. >> good morning, george, good morning, amy. with the storm affecting most of the country, it's difficult to

believe, but there are other folks to be check the weather. olympia, seattle, spokane, portland, you're all in lionel for good heavy rain out of this. one to two inches to the areas in purple. to to three inches in red. for the east coast, we'll talk about sandy throughout the morning.

the rain continues to steadily moved in from the coast rain is nowiest to reach the western beltway. at st. mary's county and calvert county were per hour.o 1 inch flooding could begin at any time. bad, gustingot around 25 miles per hour but will pick up throughout the day and of the rain. here is your time line. >> and we are live along shore, alongside the very high water in new york harbor. remember, amy, this weather gets worse all day long. amy. >> and you'll be there to remind us, sam. thanks so much. coming up, we're actually going back to where the eye of the storm will cross. atlantic city right there. plus, those high winds and heavy rains expected to take down

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toward the northwest. it might be the start of that will watch the situation closely. could affect the timing a bit.e s quite heavyi already especially from the beltway on the east preconceived hour. or so per the steady rain will stick with us. the forecast gives us the best of landfall to the north. we will not have to worry as the search but we to worry about rain and wind. we are expecting 4-8 inches wide spread so flooding can be expected and there will be east of 95 and the delmarva. could be expected remain in effect for much of the week. this will be a long win the event with potentially 24-36

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♪ those are live pictures from atlantic city right now. that is where the eye of the storm is expected to cross. you can see the waves already churning right there. and the superstorm is going to be a once in a lifetime event. that's what they say at the national hurricane center. tens of thousands have been ordered to evacuate already because of the potential for heavy flooding and punishing winds. sam is leading the abc news extreme weather team coverage this morning. we're going to talk to him in just a moment. as we say good morning, america. as you know, robin is home recovering from a bone marrow transplant. good to have amy robach here. and lay out of breaking news. that's right. scompaengtded to topple trees and take down power lines. the storm is expected to leave

millions in the dark. >> let's look at cruise ships right now. that is the latest thing that can happen to a cruise ship in the path of a storm like this. passengers riding out the dangerous waves. we'll have a report on that. >> and i know there's several ships out on the water where the water's waves are churning so high. we're thinking about that. and we also have the complete survival guide. what a family needs for the next few days. i know i was out there, i was online, in the stores. and what you need. and also what to tell your children about the storm. we want to get right to our team coverage. sam champion is leading us off from lower manhattan. >> and good morning, everybody. we're going to start with the effects of this storm. this is going to go all day today, into the night. and things are going to get worse. if you're waking up thinking oh, this isn't so bad. just wait. this storm is going to make its way onshore around midnight tonight. you can see sandy working its

way closer to coastline. it will mix in with that cold air. it has not lost any strength. as a matter of fact it has gotten more strength overnight. and then it will get that burst of energy making its way with cold air. making its way onshore. we think it's close to 1:00 a.m., that is the most likely time with the speed that's traveling right now. and the wind and rain are the effects of this. our ginger zee is right there. right where you follow that red line through atlantic city. that's where she is. good morning, ginger. >> good morning, sam. i want to start with safety. i want everyone to be assured that my crew and myself and all the other crews we have that is what we're concerned about. the tides are changing in about ten minutes in atlantic city. and you can feel the effects already. we've got the board walk behind. just eerie music playing. there's no one to dance to it. last night, we had a half inch

of rain and there was already streetflooding. we called the emergency managers. they said that's why because the tide is so high. we have to check in with david kerley in rehoboth beach. >> good morning, ginger. we're seeing what you're seeing. the waves coming up to hit the dunes here. after all the surge, 50 million people that we're talking about may be affected. and 1 in 5 of them could lose their power. this morning, as the leading edge of sandy is beginning to slam the coast, reinforcement, convoys are on the way. an army of utility workers from as far away as oklahoma and iowa now headed east. >> you see that? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: we were with larry jackson as we was already working to restore power to homes on the coast. knowing the storm is still ahead. >> we'll work 16-hour days. >> reporter: the power outage is expected to spread. what researchers suggest, as

much as 10 million could be affected. >> we think that may be under the estimate. >> reporter: when the east coast looks like this, meantime, utilities along the storm path -- >> we took down the tree. >> reporter: -- have emergency control centers up and running. and are prepared. >> we're prepared but room for concern. >> reporter: concern among veteran utility officials. >> the width of the storm is so massive, we really don't know what's going to happen. >> reporter: and that's a dilemma as delaware's governor told us after the storm, it's the power outages that worry him. >> the problem is, when people lose power, it could be a couple days before people have power restored because of the wind. >> reporter: what should you do? get the essentials. >> we have lantern, flash lights. batteries, radio. >> reporter: other tips. never run a generator inside the house. unplug appliances and tvs so

they aren't damaged when power comes back on. if you don't open the door to your refrigerator, the food will be good for about four hours. here's another tip that i'd not heard before. if you have a thermometer with a lead, keep the door closed. once again, these power outages could go on for a week or more. you may lose everything that's fresh or frozen. >> i'm going to write that one down, thanks very much, david. let's go to josh's other stop stories. gas prices are falling across the country this morning. prices have in fact dropped 13 cents in the last week. down to an average of $3.54 per gallon. five east coast oil refineries are in the storm zone and have shut down or reduced production. but oil supplies across the country are already at their highest level in years for this time of the season. that's helping to keep prices down at least thus far. and the hunt is intensifying for the person behind a highway

shooting spree that's putting drivers on edge across michigan and has for weeks now. the shooter struck twice this weekend, and for the first time, someone was injured. the victim was seen limping on surveillance video, you see here after being shot in the hip. 30 minutes earlier, a bullet had smashed through the rear window of another car on interstate 86. two dozen cars have been targeted in the last two weeks. and new developments on the deadly meningitis outbreak blamed on a massachusetts pharmacy. authorities have now closed a second pharmacy in that state after a surprise issue found, quote, unusual conditions. unquote. 350 has become ill. and call it a sweep for the ages. take a look as tigers' triple crown winner miguel cabrera took

an 89-mile-per-hour fastball. the giants win the seventh straight game in the postseason. four coming here in the world series. they take it on visiting soil. the giants complete a very unlikely run to a second world series title in three years. and, guys, as a dodgers fan it hurts me in my gut as we see the celebration in san francisco. no injuries reported, though fireworks, some fires, in fact were set. as much as i'm hurt, i have to tell you, i'm a fan of the sport. this as likable a team as we're going to see, and, boy, it was a terrific thing. >> you're a good sport for saying that. >> kind of hurt coming out there. >> squeezed it out. >> thank you. time for a look at the weather and sam champion who is bracing for sandy there in lower manhattan. sam? >> yeah, it's unbelievable. just a quick look at that althoughing water back there. you see white caps in the new york harbor. this water rolling almost like it's the ocean itself.

but let's start with some other situations that are caused by this storm. one of them the snowfall. believe it or not, we've got blizzard warnings out in some states as well and winter storm watches out in other areas. look at the area shaded in purple. and this storm with the cold air intrusion and all the other water coming in will pile up the snow. 12 to 18 inches of snow. there will be area areas that get snow. a quick look at the big board. we'll talk about that rain in the northwest today. the gorgeous weather stretches from basically philly -- i'm sorry from phoenix, all the way to l.a. up towards denver as well. dallas, you're 69 degrees. that's not too bad. orlando's beautiful at 69. we continue heavier rain is starting to come down into the metro area. o get, ther is t heavier it has been. it is widespread for eve

>> and we are live in lower manhattan. we're not quite at high tide just yet, but that water already lapping at the edge. >> it is. sam, thanks. much more on sandy ahead. it's on course with two other people systems. is this all about to create the perfect storm? chili's lunch break combos start at just 6 bucks. so ditch the brown bag for something better. like our bacon ranch quesadillas or big mouth burger bites,

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it is 7:42. and forecasters nationwide are saying hurricane sandy could bring perfect storm conditions even more so than the storm that inspired the movie. abc dan harris is here to talk about those who don't believe the hype. >> lara, good morning to you. you see the forecasters, standing out in bad weather and it could all seem theoretical, not to mention inconvenient. there's that voice of denial that will say it won't be that bad. >> sandy may pose the greatest risk to human life. >> you can see with the winds, they continue to whip. >> this shaping up to be quite the monster. >> reporter: the forecasters could hardly be using stronger slang. it conjures images of movies like "the perfect storm." and "the day after tomorrow" where a giant wave hits new york city. but in real life new york, we found a lot of people who say they don't believe the hype.

>> are you going to panic new york or what? >> reporter: part of the problem, the last big storm to come through here, tropical storm irene, did a lot of damage to outlying areas but was pretty much a big nothing burger for new york city. >> it was like last year's storm, oh, darn. >> reporter: and that's why those in the evacuation warn are blowing off the warning. >> we're not moving out. >> reporter: the governor of new york is very worried about this psychology. >> this is not the time to take a chance. but whatever it is, it is going to be very serious. and again, it is nothing to be dealt with. >> reporter: the movie "the perfect storm" that was based on a real storm that took real lives. and remember katrina? thousands of people wouldn't or couldn't heed the warning and had to be rescued. so how do we handle any creeping cynicism in the face of sandy? perhaps we take our cues from

the movie. >> the storm is going to get worse. we stay inside, we keep warm, and we wait it out. >> you know, the mayor of new york city had a very powerful comment about this. he said if you live in an evacuation area and you refuse to leave, you're not only risking your own life but also the lives of first responders who may have to come and rescue you. lara, back to you. >> thanks so much, dan. coming up next, surviving the storm. everything you need to keep your family safe. and what people in the path of the storm are saying right now. "good morning america" will be right back. maybe you can be there;

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welcome back. so many people, of course, posting and tweeting online as sandy gets ready to strike. and we can actually take a look now at this incoming hurricane. actually how people are using social media to really tell their stories. sandy makes her way up the east coast and now banks for landfall, it's really becoming a procession of sorts. take a look here.

4 million tweets in the last hours alone. people struck by these nasa images. this storm again, more than 1,000 miles across. and that reaches, well, all the way up the eastern seaboard. take a look. this came in from state college, pennsylvania. of course, the run on supermarkets for really the entire eastern seaboard. these are familiar scenes. we all saw them in the last few days. and it's not just supermarkets, everybody. take a look, baltimore, maryland. they're waiting in line at liquor stores. apparently, there's only one way. >> it's going to be a long time. >> again, what did you see? were you all out? >> standing in line, trying to get milk and water and the basics. >> the gas station lines, ran out of gas. >> it was like the alate '70s. everybody ran out gas.

we're showing you the images. we're telling you both what to prepare for the storm and what to tell your kids. we're not taking this storm in the least. going to prepare to affect 60 million people. we saw fans all morning long. here on "good morning america." how to keep you safe, your family safe. >> how to be totally prepared. also, taking a look at what is in sandy's path right now. go nowhere. [ female announcer ] ready for a taste of what's hot?

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>> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning, washington, i meteorologist jacqui jeras. sandy is started about slow turn moving the coast and northwest and it intensified over the knights of winds are 85 miles per hour and additional strengthening as possible before reaches the coast. already feeling the impact of this is just the beginning. expecting twins to increase throughout the day and into tonight and tomorrow morning. a big risk with of rain already on the delmarva coast and we are

4-8 inches inee general across the metro area. this radar shows to the heavy stuff is approaching the eastern beltway. see one end per hour in f the arvn to areas. the heavier rain is beginning to pull into the area. there will be some isolated f rain along 95 o and eastern river flooding can be expected. for the rest of the week. the winds have been between 15- notr so it is that will pick up throughout the day. this is a long duration event 24-36 hours potentially of extreme wind. by this afternoon, the winds will be 40-50 m.p.h. and late

evening we will see the around 60he wind miles per hour. power outages can be expected about are concerned downed trees. safe and we will let more updates. president obama: there's just no quit in america... and you're seeing that right now. over five million new jobs. exports up forty one percent. home values... rising. our auto industry... back. and our heroes are comining hom.

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♪ this morning, the halloween superstorm. an historic force of nature. three storm systems colliding in one. 50 million people in its path. facing for storm surge up to 11 feet high. homes already destroyed. hundreds of thousands more in danger. thousands of flights canceled. transit systems shutdown. and a mad dash to stock up before the storm hits. this morning, what you need to know to keep your family safe. sam and the team are live in the storm zone with the very latest. "good morning america's" special coverage starts right now. and you are looking at live

pictures from the east coast. all eyes right now on the tide. here are the possible worst case scenario. the mid-atlantic region in the path of the most dangerous part of the storm right now. with winds, high winds, water piling up and a full moon all coming together, there could be surging walls of water on this coast. good morning, america. robin is home recovering from her bone marrow transplant. we hope that he's safe as well. it's great to have amy robach here. >> thank you very much. we will have the latest on crew ships, if you can imagine being out on the water. all the passengers and crew riding out the davous waves. wave heights already 24 feet. that's off of new jersey. it's only going to get worse there. in fact, we're going to hear from a cruise ship captain right in the middle of the storm zone. >> so scary thinking about those folks. and we've got your sandy survival guide. everything that you'll need to

keep yourself and your family safe. and also, we've talked about it, how do you talk to your kids about sandy, not just the storm, but how to prepare for it. >> sam and the team have been trabing the storm's path all night. and sam has just received the latest from the national hurricane center. sam? >> that's right, george. by the way, sandy is now moving a little bit faster and has made a little more of a western movement. now moving north-northwest and accelerating, according to the hurricane center. by the way, you take a look at what we think will happen. those buoy reports that amy was talking about, 25 feet off of cape may, new jersey. 35 feet, that means the waves are high. there's a lot of water with sandy, it's not just the waves, it's the surge. when you look at the surge expected to to be 3 to 6 feet in the light orange areas, 6 to 12 feet in the dark orange areas. right here in the new york harbor, we're standing, rolling over the edge there, there's a white cap there. i'll tell you what, our ginger

zee is standing right now up against the water in atlantic city, new jersey. >> reporter: hurricane sandy is currently more than 200 miles east of cape hatteras, knock knock. already, its effects have been devastating. look at this house in rodanthe, north carolina. parts are breaking off and falling into the ocean. there are many places like norfolk, virginia, where low-lying streets are already flooded. and there are thousands of customers without power. 89-mile-per-hour winds are already churning the surf. sandy's winds could be up to 90 miles an hour this afternoon, just short of a category 2. and a daring coast guard rescue is currently under way. the "hms bounty" is takes on water. 17 people are being hoisted from lifeboats on to jayhawk helicopter it's. all of this power, all of this damage and sandy are still well offshore. what makes sandy special?

this time of year, most tropical storms move east out to sea. sandy's traveling north and will turn west so its effects will be felt over a large land area. and this storm is monster size. clouds stretching over 2,000 miles. tropical storm force wind, more than 1,000 miles. and as sandy makes its way up the eastern seaboard it's colliding with an arctic colt front from the west. add in 150-mile-per-hour witnds from the west, it's a superstorm. >> this storm is going to be destructive and essentially life threatening. >> the waves crashing onshore in new jersey and that's where ginger zee is. good morning, ginger. >> good morning, sam. we've had wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour already. we're going to easily get into that 60 to 80 miles per hour category. you're starting to see debris float in and out of the ocean. the tide is at its peak. remember, even though the angry

surf is very high. later, it's going to get higher. at 8:00, that is the iconic boardwalk, everybody knows it as well. that could easily have water on it. and we could see water coming from the other side of atlantic city. all thearrier islands are sliver thin as you go up new jersey. so that's what we're watching for as that storm makes its approach tonight. let's go ahead to nags head, north carolina and find our matt gutman now. thanks, ginger. just to give you a taste of what we've been seeing here. for the past 36 continue wus continuous hours here, we've been bumped and battered here with the rogue wave. let's take a look at that video. in fact, the situation is so treacherous out here, 150 miles out to the east, the "hms bounty ""was in receipt of a dramatic

rescue. 17 sailors plucked off the ship by helicopters. they were taken off the water. no indication of what their condition is. now, let's go back to sam. >> hey, matt, i just want to remind you, when you're watching those wave. you cannot time them like that. be very, very careful along the edge of that water. those waves are unpredictable. you'll be swamped by a double-high wave then a wave will come in. now, we've got to take to the skies. there's a lot of trouble there, our jim avila is at reagan national airport with the flight troubles there. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, sam, you want to be alone this morning? come to the airport. this is reagan national airport, terminal c. normally, on a monday morning, this would be jam-packed with customers. going back and forth on the shuttles on delta and u.s. air. as you see, the ramps are completely empty. so are the gates. the planes have all gone out of here. they're flown away.

part of the 7,000 cancellations along the eastern seaboard today. it's affecting the flights all over the country. so it really is a problem. it paralyzing the entire nation's aviation corridors. because of what happens on the east coast. also, amtrak and grayhound bus lines have called off service that way last all the way till friday. let's go back now to sam. >> thanks, jim. by the way, jim, we want to rerack the piece on the coastal area and just show you the trouble that matt gutman got into. standing close to the shoreline. he was timing those waves out. watching that water move in. he's been in these situations a lot, by the way. and even caught him. so our people are now being pulled off the shoreline now. we're pulling up. we're getting into a safer location. this say perfect opportunity for us to tell you that we are out covering a storm. a storm unlike one we've ever seen before. and you can see the water swamping up around us. even right here at battery park. we're able to do this because

we've seen these storms but this storm, it's very unpredictable. please do not try to get anywhere near the coastal waters. just take it easy. when the debris is flying and the winds, it's not safe, george. >> we is city that. we're going to begin with the economic effect of hurricane sandy. it will be felt outside the eastern seaboard. and weekend anchor bianna golodryga joins us with more. good morning. >> good morning, josh. the financial markets are closed today. even though online operations. it's the first time weather has closed wall street since hurricane gloria since 1985. there's been no ldecision as to whether the market will be open tomorrow. pfizer reports will be announced on thursday instead. and investors will wait to hear from manager companies.

speaking of energy, they're awaiting sandy's path. we haven't seen a prespike in gas prices as we have in the previous hurricanes. those refineries along the east coast account for about 7% of the country's capacity. of course, it's not just oil we're talking about. most major retailers have 10% in sandy's path. this storm will have a major impact on their business as well. we're going to keep an eye on all of this. sandy also putting a chaotic spin on the final peek of the election. president obama has canceled an event in florida to return to washington, d.c. to monitor the storm there. and mitt romney has canceled events in virginia. also this morning, maryland has called off early voting. as for the race itself, our laters abc news/"washington post" poll shows mitt romney holding a one-point edge nationwide. it bears mentioning this is the first presidential race since 1960 in which neither candidate

has exceeded 50% by this point. the battle ground shows that the race is tied in virginia. and the president is holding a four-point lead in the all-important state of ohio. >> and we have never seen a race this close for so long. let's get to the other hurricane headlines. >> thank you, george. and we begin by saying that sandy is something of a showstopper. the impending storm causing the cancellations of broadway shows. they were calling off performances for every show on broadway because the safety of heregoers is everyone's primary concerns. tickets purchased through ticketmaster will be automatically refunded. and box office tickets will be refunded or exchanged as well. the statue of liberty was all ready for her grand reopening when sandy came to town. the 126-year-old lady liberty underwent a $30 million renovation. new stairs leading to her crown were replaced. wheel share access to her

observation decks added. she was just to be to receive the public, but the superstorm will have to come first. she is expected to open for business on wednesday. that is, if sandy allows. and we humans are not the only ones nervous about hurricane sandy. animals, as many of you know, if you're a dog owner can sense major storms coming. only often know if it's going to be bad. we found these pictures on buzzbeat.com to put a smile on your face. we want to remind to you care for your pets in this stressful time. if you have to evacuate, always do so with your animals. even if you have cats, yes, they can survive. bring your animals with you. also bring a supply of food and water for your pets. and make sure your pets have their i.d. tags on as well. >> absolutely. ali took our dogs to the dog park. all of the dogs were off. >> and the birds were chirping.

is sounded ominous. they can hear it. >> you know, if you really care about your dogs, don't dress them like that. >> that's cute. >> let's get another check of the weather from sam. hey, and a footnote to lara, you're absolutely right about the pet situation. most communities now have adapted shelters for that. but check with your community to make sure that the shelter you're going to can handle pets. some can, some cannot. we're on full time coverage of sandy as we watch new york harbor start rolling and rising here. a lot of waves on the coast this morning. but look to the northwest and there's a rainmaker coming onshore there. 2 to 3 inches of rain. storm watches out to idaho. northern idaho will expect flooding out of this rain situation. a quick look. l.a., boy, i wish i were standing on your coastline at 82 degrees. san antonio i'll take 79 as well. orlando, it may feel gusty, you

can feel that cool wind coming in at orlando. but i'll take that 62 from what we've got. the steady rain is here and quite heavy at times along the eastern towards the bed. we have seen incredible rainfall especially in maryland, in ocean city. our flood threat is very high next 24-36 hours, 4-8 expected and there could be power outages. >> you know, another quick little tip here with the storm blowing, in that cold air wrapping around it, the windchills here in new york are in the 40s now. so get prepared when you step out. it's not only windy and rainy. step out carefully, by the way,

it's also going to be cold. back to the desk. lara. >> be safe, sam. here's a look at what's coming up on our "gma" "morning menu." the latest on the cruise ships now. we'll hear from the captain in the middle of the storm. the waves are churning. and also your survival guide. what you need to know to stay safe. and finally, how to talk to your kids about this storm. all that coming up live here on "good morning america" in times square. i gave birth to my daughter on may 18th,

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welcome back to "good morning america's" live team coverage of hurricane sandy. off the shoreline, still, we have with us again, this morning, the director of the national hurricane center, dr. rick knabb. rick, we're going to see a lot of pictures this morning. thanks for joining us, again, by the way, of coastal effects over the next couple hours. please refined folks about the inland effect of the storm. let's talk a little bit about that. >> well, sure. this is an important point to make. it will not just be a coastal system. even though it's moving quite fast right now, once it comes ashore, it's going to slow down. and it's going to be a long duration event for folks not just on the coast, people inland and over in the ohio valley and snowfall and other parts of the appalachians. once the weather starts getting bad where you are, it could last a couple days, even more. heavy rains, strong winds. we could have massive power outages over a large area of the

northeastern part of the united states. rainfall that could be a foot in some places when it's all said and done. could cause flash flooding on short time scales and that could lead to river flooding down the road. so this is definitely going to be an inland event. irene last year showed us exactly how possible that is. but it may not be in the same places. if you weren't in irene, you could be this time. >> a very important point to remind folks. because all morning long, we're going to be showing pictures. terribly situation as this storm moves inland, as you said, rick, and continues to stay there for a couple days. thank you so much. i know you'll be with us for the duration of the storm and bring the latest of the storm as we get it. back to george. everyone has bragsed for sandy, but it's also made dangerous waves out at sea. we told you about the 24-foot waves off the new jersey coast. waves off the north carolina coast are 32 feet. so what does this mean for passengers on board cruise ships right now? abc's dan harris is back with more.

good morning, dan. >> good morning. this storm is making life very complicated for people who run the cruise industry. they're delaying departures and arrivals as we speak. in fact, we just got off the phone with the captain, a man named veto carglioni from carnival. >> reporter: around sandy is ma waves around the coast. but this ship was cruising offer the coast of spain 2005 when a freak wave, more than 70 feet tall, crashed into the cruise liner, reaching the tenth floor. right now, there appear to be five cruise ships in the wares that sandy is churning. >> we get into this weather, we're being very careful. >> reporter: the aida "luna," the carnival "miracle" and

"explorer of the seas" and "queen elizabeth ii." the ships in the water right now forced reroute and attempt to reride out the storm. some cruise lines have even canceled trips. so can cruise ships withstand the force of a hurricane? that's the question some people have. the goal of the cruise industry is to never find out. they always take major precautions. they sail hundreds of miles away from these storms. even then, we just talked tie passenger, just got off the phone with him this morning. he got off the ship yesterday. he said there were a lot of people there. >> what have you heard? >> his name was daniel. he was on the ship for days. he just got off and said he's still feeling sick. he told us, quote, everybody on board has been sick. you can imagine. >> thanks so much. all up and down the east

coast, people have been scrambling to prepare for this historic superstorm. and abc's ron claiborne is in long beach, new york, with the latest on all of that. good morning, ron. >> good morning to you, amy. as you see, the waters are already rising and still hours away from the berm i'm standing on. this is going to be wiped out today, almost certainly. and the waters are the rising waters that will come over this berm and into long beach. and that is why people in this beach, several thousand, are scrambling, people all along the path of sandy are scrambling to buy last-minute supplies while they can, if they can. >> reporter: with sandy bearing down at this trader joe's supermarket in new york, people were lining up. it's as though many only finally realized the monster storm was about to strike. >> i have no food at home. >> reporter: in some cities, shelves were stripped bare. >> we have batteries, we have flash lights. >> reporter: people are tweeting pictures in pennsylvania.

the entire supermarket aisle cleared out. in new york, a run on canned goods. in this picture, no bread, no water, only really long lines. others filled up their cars with expectation that gas stations will be shutting down. every where generators are a hot commodity. >> i'm looking at a generator. it's time to have backup. >> reporter: the wisconsin company generex shipped thousands of generators to meet the demand. and lowe's, 96 truckloads of water, 8 truckloads of generators and multiple flashlights and battery. and home depot has sent hundreds of shipments of batteries to the east coast. sold out? >> sold out. >> reporter: here in long beach, we met neal and his father's small convenience store. >> sohey're buying water in

addition to eggs and milk and eggs and lottery tricks. tickets. ho do you figure that? >> they want more luck. >> more luck. the only hospital in long beach. it closed last night. the nearest hospital is six miles away. it might as well be 60 miles away. we're isolated here until this thing is over. back to you lara. >> thank you so much, ron. and you may be well prepared with all the supplies you think you need to ride the storm out. but the storm could bring health hazards. abc's dr. richard besser is here. good morning. just because you're prepared doesn't mean you're safe. they don't go hand in hand? >> that's right. you could do everything perfectly to this point. but if you're not careful after the storm hits you could put yourself and your family at risk. the good news is with a few small steps you can be safe. >> first things first, food. >> when the power goes out, what do i do with my refrigerator? after four hours, you have to be

careful, leftovers, meat, get rid of it. >> four hours after the power goes out, you need to be careful? >> that's the time. when it doubt, throw it out. your freezer, you get more time. if it's packed solid, 48 hours. half full, 24 hours. after that, get rid of that as well. >> how large are we allowed to get in the refrigerator? >> each time you peek in, you cut down time. if you have ice in there with milk, for daily use, that's the way to go. >> you need to be careful about your generator? >> yeah. when i ran emergency preparedness for the cdc. this is what worried us the most. every year, people die from something called carbon monoxide poisoning. carbon monoxide is put out by generators. it's odorless. it's a silent killer. you want to use your generator at least 20 feet away from any

doors, any windows. if you have carbon monoxide detectors make sure the battery in those are working. you want them anywhere people are sleeping. it's an avoidable risk. 15,000 people to the emergency room. these are preventible deaths and injuries. >> finally, don't forget to check on your neighbors. >> the communities that do best are those who look after each other. you want to look at anyone who is vulnerable. anyone who is home bound. the elderly. you want to make sure they have their food, they have their water, anything they need. if you're checking in on everyone, you're all going to ride it through and be safe. >> we have tips to help you get through sandy. go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo!. we'll be back with a harrowing story. stay with us.

>> live, and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. good morning, everyone. we have the latest on hurricane sandy. about 400 miles away from d.c. but we are already.he impact been some g overnight to a category one storm with 85 mile per hour winds. it is a large storm, about 500 miles wide. the rainfall has been quite heavy. rain isthe heaviest along the eastern shore chesapeake bay.

model showinguter you how much grain we are expecting. for-5 inches around the metro and the further east to go, is where the heaviest rain will be. it could be somewhere around a rainfall on the eastern shore. the further west you go, the rain you'll get in the heavier amounts means s will flood and some of that could last throughout the week. our wind gusts right now remain between 15-25 miles per hour. that will increase throughout e day and in the next 24-36 hours, there will be extreme + miles per hour. power outages can be expected and they could be widespread. we are very concerned about trees so stay indoors

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♪ you see it right there. the east coast already getting pummeled by the impact of sandy. waves are churning up. the rain has started. the winds are kicking up. sam on the carolina coast. you saw more as well. of course, it's going to get worse as it moves up the coast and cuts in west. good morning, america. robin's home recovering from her bone marrow transplant this morning. amy robach here with breaking news this morning. >> that's right. you're looking at the atlantic city where the eye of the storm is expected to cross. our entire weather team is live in the storm zone. up and down the east coast. already some harrowing moments. >> indeed, there was a big rescue at sea by the coast guard. rescue helicopters have been pulling people off a tall ship. caught in the middle of it all. we're going to be talking to the coast guard about that rescue

live in just a moment. thinks about that. and also our kids. some 2 million kids home from school today. class is canceled. and for so many students up and down the east coast. it won't be just today. i know my own kids are out until at least wednesday. we've got tips on how to talk to your kids not just about the storm but to educate them. >> sam is leading the entire weather team coverage in lower manhattan. sam? >> good morning, everyone. i'm here with chris cuomo keeping an eye on the storm surge. chris, before we get that update. let's take a look at the latest information on the track and path of sandy, by the way. we move this storm line, continue to move it a little bit to the north-northwest. and then you follow that red line and then again still appears at midnight to 1:00 a.m. has been the timing on this. well ahead of that, its chris, it's surprising to me that we're sthang in the middle of new york

harbour right here in battery park. >> you're exactly right. this is high tiled now. this is a full moon rise right now. that's all. you shamed me into taking off my hood. but there's a cautionary word, this is going to be worse. you play on the beach, you're make a mistake. why? surge isn't just flooding, it's forceful water. with the force of this estuary. here's what we know about this, it's low lying. you know this already. from the people who came here, they didn't, 375,000 people had to be told to leave this area. if it fills up like a basin, with this force, you don't know what the damage is. at a minimum, it could affect transformers and powers. this is a financial district. it could stay that way for days until sandy says so. >> of course, you know, we've got folks in the water and all along the coastline so we need to see if these cameras are up

and moving. ginger zee, are you there in atlantic city, new jersey, camera and everything all right? all right. let's go to ginger. >> sam, there are low-lying areas where there's already standing water. because the tide is so hi and the moon so full that that's going to a affect a big part of this storm. we're watching this super violent surf continuing to build closer and closer. you can really now, i'm close enough to the fencing and barrier here see how short it is. it's only my height. easily, the waves and the wind and the surge will move up to my height and likely on to that boardwalk. and that's what we're worried about, as far as flooding from this end. we keep talking and here it is, the conditions change as we go along. greering to keep adjusting so we can stay in a safe place. i have to tell you, water not a good place to be close to during this storm. let's keep you updated from here. for now, we'll head back to george. >> thank you, ginger. stay safe. >> you to that dramatic rescue

at sea. the coast guard pulling 16 people off the ship. i'm joined by is vice admiral robert parker, the director for the atlantic area. admiral, thank you for joining us. this is a famous shim. the "hms bounty" made famous in that movie "mutiny on the bounty." and you got a call it's taking on two feet per hour? >> that's correct. about 9:45 last night, we got a call from the owner that said they lost communications with the vessel. they were taking on water. over the next several hours, they set off emergency position indicating a radio signal to satellite their position and a distress. we actually maintained e-mail contact with the ship. until lost that capability as well. eventually, they abandoned ship with ten feet of water on deck. there's some question about whether or not there were 16 or 17 people on board. all abandoned into two life rafts, rubber boats with

canopies on top. we had an hc-130 overhead to respond to these types of events. once we knew they were sinking and abandoning, we launched h-60 helicopters. the first got on scene and started hoist. at this point, we have nine people in one helicopter. five in another. both of those helicopters are headed back to north carolina, the nearest point to get aide to those folks to make sure they're well taken care of. at this point, we have two or three people unaccounted for. and the vessel has completely sunk. >> vessel has completely sunk. do you know whether the two or three people were in the vessel or in lifeboats? >> we don't have that yet. this is very much breaking news. and i'm mindful that the reports are wrong. we're certainly hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. >> but you have 14 people safe and fully accounted for from that ship? >> that's correct. >> admiral parker, thanks very

much for that. we hope they find those other two. we want to go back to sam in lower manhattan. >> yeah, george, the seas are going to be as bad as anyone has ever seen them with this storm. accuweather's expert senior meteorologist bernie raidoff is with us. bernie, worst storm surge, who gets it? >> 6 to 10 feet, sam. it will be north of where the storm come in. we're expecting that storm as ginger talked about, around atlantic city, long island, jersey coast. also the shore, long island sound you as the water funnels into that. and of course, you've already talked about how that water's going to come funneling up the hudson and into lower manhattan. brooklyn and into queens. so this is going to be a devastating storm surge that is going to cut off barrier islands. and it may change them just because the ferocity of the wind and the surge.

>> yeah, there's some discussion about how the '38 storm changed the way how the outer long island islands looked. bernie, who gets the most rainfall out of this? >> well, i think the atmosphere is already telling us who gets the most rainfall. there's a band of heavy rain south and west of philadelphia, moving towards the baltimore/washington area. that's where it's aiming almost vertical or horizontal i should say. we're picking up 8 to 12 inches of rain stopping at firld, or the baltimore, washington area. lesser amounts of rain in new york city, two to four. but that's going to cause problems as well. we're looking at widespread flooding. certainly, flash flooding, and of course, we talked about problems along the coast. >> bernie, thank you so much for being with us. it's always good to have you with us, your eyes with us. watching the storm. let's get to the weather maps

and we'll show you what's going on, by the way. we need to talk a little bit about the rainfall forecast. we're going to show you where that rain is going. bernie kind of mentioned that heavy band of rain was already falling. raining sideways in a lot of locations. that yellow area is where the storm moves onshore, where the heaviest rain will fall through wednesday. remember, this storm is going to curve up through pennsylvania, curve up through western new york state and find a home in maine. there's an awful lot of rain with this storm. here's where the snow is falling. snow out of this storm? you better believe it. there's already blizzard warnings for the mountains of west virginia. and heavy hits of snow. meanwhile, on the west coast, we've got rain in the west. beautiful conditions. >> the rain has been heavy here. a flood warning has been issued

arundel and other counties. we can see 6 inches in the next six >> folks, i know we've brought you through a lot of storms. some of them bigger than others and some of them smalls. please take this seriously and stay indoors if you can if you're watching our coverage of sandy. all of that was brought to you by progressive. it's important to make sure your children are aware of just how powerful this superstorm could be. so many schools are closed this monday morning. halloween festivities on hold. here are tips on how to talk to your kids about bracing for sandy, psychologist janet taylor. we're going to talk to her. but first, let's take a listen to what kids are saying first? >> i'm probably going to put sand all over my house. >> we're really afraid.

my dad is afraid. >> i guess i'm a little scared. >> how does that make you feel? >> kind of scared. >> i'm pretty scared. >> dr. janet taylor joins us. my own kids, mom, can we get extra flashlights. >> i'm nervous just not knowing. i think it's important for us to focus on the fact, our kids are hearing words like "monster storm." "superstorm." explain to them what a storm surge is. don't be afraid to say i don't know. look up words. >> we're glued to the television watching the storm coverage. should we be limited to that in terms of what our kids are seeing? how do you figure that out? >> absolutely. it's about exposure. remember, screen time is not just television, it's social media. be aware that your kids are looking at facebook, looking at twitter. and a lot of things that are there may not be accurate and

scaring them. >> what do you expect, all our kids are home from school right now, and they just want to watch the television or any kind of screen? >> well, monitor the screens but also have a preparedness plan and incorporate them them in that. give them what ifs. kids are focused on the big world, but more importantly what's happening in their own world. we can focus on having a safety kit. >> it made my daughter feel a lot better to know we have that first aid kit and those flashlights. and candles ready to go. what about trick or treating? i know that's a big concern for a lot of children. it's a lot of kids' favorite holiday. it's all about the candy. maybe we can create a new ritual inside. >> absolutely. we're worried about flooding and they're worried about candy and costumes. that's just being a kid. hide candy in the house. invite friends over if you can do that. or if you have to go to a shelter.

say, listen, we can make our own halloween day and we can decide. we have to prepare our kids to understand that things don't happen the way they're supposed to. >> that is good advice. sometimes, you have to switch things up and how to be safe. safety is obviously supreme. we have to take the right precaution. >> exactly. life like the storm is unpredictable. you have to be prepared and hope for the best. >> dr. janet taylor, thanks so much. coming up, guess what, jimmy kimmel is here this week. there he is. ready for the storm inside at there he is. ready for the storm inside at "gma" studios.

well, inside the brewer, there's a giant stairce. and the room is filled with all these different kinds of coffee. actually, i just press this button. brew what you love, simply. keurig.

♪ rain picking up out in times square right now. pretty empty this morning. most of the new york city shut down. but that has not stopped our next guest from coming inside right now. jimmy kimmel. >> how are you doing? >> i'm okay. >> i'm prepared for this storm. >> you sure are. >> i'm part of the extreme weather team. >> reporting live from times square. >> poor, sam. he's stuck out there -- he's got a big sticker on him. it's ridiculous. >> he loves it. >> i can't figure out if this is the best day of his life or the worst day of his life. >> ask him in about six hours. >> okay. >> all week long, "jimmy kimmel live" from brooklyn, a homecoming. you brought the rain with you? >> yeah. we've been planning this for like eight months. we never really thought there would be a hurricane when we

showed up. and it's terrible, because supposedly, the storm is going to hit exactly as i step on stage. >> you're taping at 7:00 tonight? >> yeah. >> that is peak period. >> kelly ripa is the guest. he's very small. she could easily fly away. we're going to have to anchor her down to something. >> what else are you doing for the storm? >> just panicking. they say the only thing you can do is panic. also, we went down to home depot and bought a generator. >> a couple of flashlights maybe? >> yeah, i don't know what we're going to do. i don't know if anyone will show up to see the show. i have it my head, people are counting on seeing the show. we gave them tickets. they load in, they want to see the show. i have a feeling i'll go there tonight and there will be four people and those four people will be my parents. >> this is not exactly the evacuation zone. people will show up, not only kelly ripa, but david letterman.

that's a life long dream? >> it is a life long dream. my license plate on my first car said "late night." my birthday cake when i was 18 years old said "late night." i was obsessed with david letterman. >> he's said no before, but he said he's going to do it? >> he said he's going to do it. what better excuse than a hurricane to not do a show. >> that is pretty good. what's life like to be here? i heard you went back to your old house? >> i did. i went back to the house i grew up. no basement. like anything you go and visit. very small. that's me. my mother used to dress me like a little -- >> that is very fancy. >> thank you. little knee socks. i probably don't look any less stupid now, i'm realizing. let me take off my -- less stupid. >> you can take the boy out of brooklyn but -- >> i went and visited the family that lives there.

they made me dinner. it was a lot of fun. >> so we're going to get to see some of that? >> yeah. we'll do that on the show. >> also howard stern? >> we may not see any of it. we may be preempted by this hurricane. curse you, sandy. >> you're going to tape no matter what? >> not no matter what. if we're ordered by the police not to tape the show, we're probably not going to do it. short of that, i'm planning on being there. i don't know if anyone else will be there. i will be there. what happened to broadway? what happened to the show must go on? cowards, all of them! >> thank you. you can watch "jimmy kimmel live" week nights at 12:00, 11:00 central here. we're going back to sam. 11:00 central here. we're going back to sam. we'll ask him how he's doi we had a good group of people. good group of employees out there. this was a booming place. and mitt romney and bain capital turned it in to a junk yard. i was suddenly, 60 years old. i had no health care. mainly i was thinking about my family. how am i going to take care of my family.

he promised us the same things he's promising the united states. and he'll give you the same thing he gave us. nothing. anncr: priorities usa action i responsible for the content of this advertising. when we think no one is looking. is what we do... mitt romney: believe that they are victims. anncr: mitt romney thought no one was looking when... he attacked forty-seven percent of americans. his companies shipped jobs overseas. his plan cuts millionaires' taxes, but raises yours.

he'll voucheherize medicare... and make catastrophic cuts to education. so remember what romney said... and what his plan would do. president obama: i'm barack obama and... api approve this message. ♪ this is new york city this morning. we've been all hands on deck all morning long, covering hurricane

sandy. we do want to check in one more time with sam. and chris cuomo is down in lower manhattan. sam? >> i know one thing we want to point out, george, by the way, the storm is still on track to move inland. and, chris, you and i are just astounded by the water that we've seen out here. and a couple things come to mind about cautioning people. >> absolutely. look, this is just moon tide that we're seeing right now. moon tide, high tide. it's certainly up over the wall's break. what do we know? what we don't know yet, but we know it's going to be bad. people are staying home saying i don't have to evacuate. i was fine last night. you're makes a mistake. coming in to look at this, you're makes a mistake. >> one of the things that's going to happen with a storm like that, it is going to change exponentially. the next wave of water that moves by, the next one may be four times higher than that. sometimes, you can time it. oh, i can get to the grocery

store. you're able to time it. but this storm, you're not able to time it. >> cars have less than ten inches of clearance. the water gets underneath your car, you're dead. it's not just flooding. there's force to this water. it can move structures. can it move people. you have to be very careful. >> it's one of the points, by the way, of us getting on and talking about the storm last week. and getting folks the information that they needed in what might happen in their area to get prepared for it. now that you are sort of prepared kind of settle in and wait the storm out. it will be a day in most cases. it might be two in new england where you'll get the wind effects with this. with power outages you may see folks without power for more than a week if the power outages are the way they are. >> and that's a concern. >> back to times square. >> as you point out. it's a long storm and a slow storm. we're going to see the effects for days and days.

you saw the water. >> i was on the battery in irene, i was down there last year. and it didn't let up. we still got a long way to go. >> we'll be right back. hey! hey, baby. [ starts car ] were you eating smoked sausage in here? no! no. could have gotten me one. i did.

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look, the reason i'm in this race is there are people that are really hurting today in this country. and we face this deficit -- could crush the fututure generations. and republicans and democrats both love america but we need to have leadership -- leadership in washington that will actually bring people together and get the job done and could not care less if it's a republican or a democrat. i've done it before, i'll do it again. i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message.

and thanks for staying through the morning with all of us and our extreme weather team. abc news is tracking on air and online all day. watch the latest with diane sawyer later tonight. have a good day. >> this is an abc 7 news update. good morning. here is the latest on hurricane

sandy. it is getting closer to us. it is just under 400 miles away from washington. a heavy rain has been here several hours. a concern, in anne arundel county. inre are flood warnings effect for baltimore. it is picking up in intensity. the cold air on the backside of the system has snow in west virginia. above 3,000 feet, it could be a of feet of snow before it done.d and the storm is just beginning. going downhill throughout the day as the wind rain increase. this should be speaking tonight. looking for that this evening into tuesday morning. flooding may be the number one risk with up to 8 inches with locally heavy amounts. the heaviest rains in the east of the 95 corridor. the other big concern is we can

damage withad wind trees and power lines. here is the average wind gust. about 24 miles an hour at dulles. to track thenue situation. we think the wind will increase and could reach between 60 and 70 miles an hour. the forecast track remains steady. that should be to the north of will predominately be coming in from the north- northwest. rain is not as much of a the winds and